Quick-opening and quick-closing valve



May 8, 1956 F, w, MCRAE 2,744,719

QUICK-OPENING AND QUICK-CLOSING VALVE Filed Aug. 16, 1952 FP50 0. Mc ,Q7/7E IN V EN TOR.

2,744,719 QUICK-OPENING AND QUICK-CLOSING VALVE Fred W. McRae, Los Angeles, Calif.

Application August 16, 1952, Serial No. 304,706

4 Claims. (Cl. 251-62) This invention relates to a quick-opening and quickclosing valve.

Heretofore, valves of this general character have been devised consisting essentially of a body having an inlet and an outlet with a valve seat therebetween. A ilaptype closure has been hingedly mounted with the body adapted to engage the valve seat and which, when opened, willbe swung laterally to occupy a position entirely out of the path of fluid flow through the body or substantially so that ow may take place through the body with a minimum interference or modification by the valve closure when the valve closure was in open position. When the valve is used as a quick-opening valve it is normally in closed position against its seat and is required to arrest the flow of fluid which may be under a relatively high pressure. It is desirable to be able to hold the flap-type valve iirmly pressed against its seat under such circumstances until the Valve is allowed to open.

In the case of a quick-closing valve, the valve closure is in normally open position and when it is required to shut olf the fluid flow passing through the body it is likewise desirable to swing the closure into the path of the llow with great mechanical advantage and to press the closure firmly against its seat with great mechanical advantage so that it may arrest the flow of the lluid which may be under relatively high pressure.

A primary object of the present invention is to provide a valve structure that may be used either as a quickopening valve or as a quick-closing valve which is so designed that when the closure is forced towards its seat or held in seated position that a maximum mechanical advantage commensurate with a small and relatively compact structure is available.

Another object of the invention is to provide a construction having the above-mentioned characteristics and wherein the line pressure can be utilized to force the closure towards its seat and retain it against its seat.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will be made manifest in the following detailed description and specifically pointed out in the appended claims, reference is had to the accompanying drawings for an illustrative embodiment of the invention, wherein:

Figure 1 is a longitudinal vertical section through Valve embodying the present invention.

Referring to the accompanying drawing wherein similar reference characters designate similar parts throughout, the valve consists of a body having an inlet 11 and an outlet 12. These are preferably surrounded by flanges 13 applicable between companion flanges which may be on the conduit or pipe line in which the valve is incorporated. Within the body between the inlet and outlet there is a valve seat 14 and adjacent this valve seat there is swingably mounted a ap-type valve closure, the closure being indicated at 15, which is loosely mounted on an arm 16. The arm 16, in turn, is swingably mounted on a transversely extending pintle 17 that nted States Patent O 2,744,719 Patented May 8, 1956 2 extends transversely of the housing. A torsion spring 18 is disposed about the pintle and normally urges the valve closure into open position.

On theback of the arm and extending at right angles to the axis of the pintle 17 there is a cam 19. This cam is generally angular in form and presents a high point r The upper portion of the body 10 is so formed as to provide a cylinder for a differential piston 21, theupper portion of which indicated at 22 has the maximum diam-V eter and is reciprocable within a line 23 or otherwise positioned within the upper portion of the body. The lower portion of the piston, indicated at 24, is of reduced diameter and is reciprocable within the lower portion of the upper body part. O-rings or the equivalent, indi-l cated at 26 and 27, provide effective seals .on the upper and lower portions of the piston. The lower portion 24 is diametrically grooved or recessed as indicated at 28 to receive a roller" 29 that is rotatably mounted on a transversely extending pin 30. One or more pins 31. are secured to the upper portion Z2 of the pistony and' which air or gas entrapped between this shoulder and the upper portion 22 of the piston may be compressed wheny ever the piston is forcibly caused to descend.

A tubing 34 is connected to the body 10 lupstream with respect to the valve seat 14. This tubing may lead through a filter 35 and through a manually operablev despite the fact that the lower portion or reduced portion 24 is also exposed to line pressure. Whenthe piston is forced downwardly its roller 29 engages the cam 19 and forces the closure 15-16 toward the seat 14. This .fore-1 ing movement continues with constantly decreasing mechanical advantage until the high point 20 is traversed;

v to cause the closure to swing against its seat.

This occurs just prior to the closure 15 engaging the seat 14 and as the roller passes over the high point 20 it is effective with considerable mechanical advantage l As shown upon the drawing the surface of the cam 19 which is to the right of the high point 20 is arranged approximately horizontal or approximately at right angles to 'the direction of movement of the dilerential piston 21 when the Valve closure is in its fully open position. That 'portion of the surface of the cam 19 which is to the left of the high point 20 is arranged at approximately right angles to the direction of movement of the piston 21 when the valve closure approaches its seating position, as indicated bydotted lines on the ligure. Consequently, when the roller 29 passes over the high point 20 as the closure approaches its seating position and when the forces exerted on the closure by the pressure in the inlet and by the pressure inthe cylinder are the greatest the reactionary forces imposed on the piston 21 tending t0 push the piston against one side of'its 3, considerable pressure. This pressure is more than adequate to arrest ow through the inlet 1l even though this flow may be at a relatively high pressure.

FElie interior of the cap is `also connectedto a tubing 49,1e'ading toa four-way valve/i1.' Thisfourfway valve may be optionally employed: to closel the tubingl or, to connect into an outlet tubing 42, that leads tothe body l@ downSIam ofthe valve seat le. or to connect the tubing 4,(ltoa conduit 43,. T hisconduit may lead to any one of a number of different devices that are sensitive to thev occurrence of specified events. Thus. for example, the conduit 43 may have attached thereto a number of the tno-sensitive devices adapted to openthe conduit 43 whenevertemperature becomes excessive. Whenever the pressurewithin the tubing` this released,teither by being connectedtolthe outlettubinglf,v oit-by being connected to the vconduit Liliand having thecondnit. d3 opened in one manner, or another the pressure that is effective on the upper. portion 22. of the differential piston is released. Under these circumstances, line pressure within the body 1.11 is effective on the underv side of the reduced portion 24 to lift the pistn21 and ailow the spring i8 to swing the valveclosure into open position.

and itisdesired to quickly close it, it is merely necessary to Iclosefthe valveA and open the valve 3e. Line pressure isy then eiective to force the piston downwardly-and to close the closure l tightly against its seatv idr On The other hand, ifl the ifalve is used quickopening .valve the yclosure 1S'is normally seated against the seatlii.l The piston 21 is urged downwardly to maintain thevalve closure in this position by tne line pressure that issuppliedto the top of the piston. The opening of con duit 43, if the tubing ittis connected thereto, will suddenly release the pressure effective on the piston Zlfallowing the piston to rise and allowing the vaive closure to open. Similarly, if the valve 4l connects the outlet tubing 4210 zthe-tubingfit) asimilartrelease of pressure effective on the piston 21 will occur. The relieved -pressure is not instantly rebuilt eventhough the valve 3o .is open due to the retarding effect of the small orice 39.

From the above-described construction it will be appre-y ciated'that whenthe valve closure is in open position it occupies a position outside of the lineof flow through the valve so thatfithas little, if any, retarding eflecton the uid flowing` therethrough. If thevalve is-a quick-closing valve, the supplying of pressure to the piston 2i causes the pistonto be forced downwardly and as the closure l5 approaches its seat 14, the forces exerted by the piston on the valve closure tending to seat it-will, have an adequate mechanical advantage due to the roller 29passing over the high point 20' on the cam. if the valve is used as a quick-opening valve the closure is maintainedin its seated position quite tightly by the piston and by the fact that the roller has passed over the high point 2.4i of the cam. A- quick releaseof pressure eifective on the piston enables the closure to instantly Open.

It -will `be appreciatedby those skilled in the art there thatlisherein disclosed afmeans for forcibly closing a valve ofthe swing-check type as distinguished from the globe-v type valve. Swing-,check` valves are l advantageous in thatl the-apperor closure ofthe valve in open position permits of -free ,flowy through the vaive body without in terfer'encekor. retardation.V which is highlyy advantageous overthe .globe-type, in that thelatter, due to itsy inherent construction,- involves changes in direction loftilovvr and frictional resistance which, in turn, involves volume and/or pressure, loss.

Various changes may be made in the details of-con.- stnuctionwithout `departing from the -spirit and scope of theinvention as defined by the appended claims,

l.` Avalve comprising a body havinganinlet andl any ollltlet` arranged substantially inf, alignmenti withj-eachz other,

aaiPHSS/@rrfsely arransedvalve seatttherebetween, azclosure a inthis manner, it will. be appreciated that if the valve is initially in vopen ,position swingably mounted in the body adapted to seat upon the valve seat, a cylinder on the body, a piston reciprocable in the cylinder in a direction substantially parallel to the valve seat, a cam on the back of the closure, means on the piston engageable with the cam for forcing the closure into seating position upon the valve seat, said cam having a high point thereon traversed by said means as the closure approaches seating position, the surface on the cam engaged by said means onone side of the high point being arranged at approximately right angles to the direction of movement of the pistonwhen the'closure is in fully open position, and the surface of'thecanron the other side of the high point engaged by said means being arranged at approximately right anglestoithel direction of movement of the piston when the closure approaches its seated position whereby reactionary forces on the piston tending to urge it against one side of the cylinder as the closure approaches its seated position are minimized, and means for admitting and releasing pressure to and from the cylinder.

2. A valve comprising av body having an inlet andtan outlet arranged substantially in alignment with each other, a transversely arranged valve seat therebetween, a

closure swingably mounted inthe body adapted to seatupon the valve seat, a cylinder on the body, a pistonreciprocable in the cylinder in a directionsubstantially parallel closure into seating position upon the` valve seat, said cam having a high point. thereon traversed by said means as the closure approaches seating position, the surface on the camengaged by said means on one side of the high point being arranged :at approximately rightaangles to the direction of movement of the piston when the closure is in fully openposition, and the. surface. of the cam on the other side of the high point engaged by said v-rneans 4being arranged at approximately.rightangles tothe direction of movement of the pistonfwhen theclosure approaches its seated positionwhereby, reactionary forces on the piston tending to urge it against one .side of the cylinder as the closure. approaches its seated position are minimized, said piston being a differential. pistonhaving-its vsmaller end exposed to pressurein the body.

3. A valve comprising a body having an inlet andan outlet arranged substantiallytin alignment with each other,

a transverselyarranged valve seat therebetween, a closure swingably mounted in thetbody` adaptedto seatuponthe valve seat, a cylinder on thebody, apiston reciprocable in the cylinder in a direction substantially parallel to the valveseat, a cam on the back ofthe closure, means on the piston engageable with the carny for forcing the closure into seating positionupon th'evalve. seat, said cam having a high point thereon traversed by said means as the closure approaches seatingposition, the. surfacel on. the cam engaged by. said means on one Side of the high point being arranged at approximately'right, anglesto the direction of movement of the rpistonv whentheclosure is in fully open position,v and the surfacel of the cam .on the other side of the high point engagedby-said means being arranged at approximatelyj right` angles Ato the directionof movement of the piston Whenthe closure approaches its seated position whereby reactionary` forces on the piston tending to .urge it against one sideof the cylinder as the closure approaches its seatedppsition. are minimized,

2,744,719 5 6 of the closure, means on the piston engageable with the References Cited inthe iile of this patent cam for forcing the closure into seating position upon the valve seat, said cam having a high point thereon UNITED STATES PATENTS traversed by said means as the closure approaches seating 668,202 Nethery Feb. 19, 1901 position, the surface on the cam engaged by said means 5 971,802 Tanner Oct. 4, 1910 on one side of the high point being arranged at approXi- 1,513,424 Richards Oct. 28, 1924 mately right angles to the direction of movement of the 2,146,878 Arbogast Feb. 14, 1939 piston when the closure is in fully open position, and 2,356,990 Getz Aug. 29, 1944 the surface of the cam on the other side of the high point 2,384,627 Krone Sept. 11, 1945 engaged by said means being arranged at approximately 10 2,389,661 Fischer Nov. 27, 1945 right angles to the direction of movement of the piston 2,445,163 Williamson July 13, 1948 when the closure approaches its seated position Whereby reactionary forces on the piston tending to urge it FOREIGN PATENTS against one side of the cylinder as the closure approaches 590,737 France 1925 its seated position are minimized, said piston being a 15 398,395 France 1944 dilerential piston having its smaller end exposed t0 pres- 647,978 Germany 1937 sure in the body, the means on said piston which engages 23 6,825 switzerland 1945 the cam being a roller rotatably mounted on the piston, and means for holding the piston against rotation in the cylinder during its reciprocation. 20 

